The invention relates to a method for producing a shaft, in particular the drive shaft of a food processor, having an end-side, splined-shaft-like toothing, which can be moved into positively locking engagement with a complementarily formed clutch, the toothing being produced by machining the drive shaft by means of a milling cutter, and a food processor with a clutch, into which a shaft, preferably a drive shaft, provided with a splined-shaft-like toothing can be moved into positively locking engagement.
A generic food processor is described in the publication DE 35 32 038 C2. The aforementioned food processor has a vertical drive shaft, which is actively connected to an electrical drive on its lower end. The upper end of the drive shaft is equipped with a splined-shaft-like toothing, onto which the complementarily formed clutch of a disk-type tool can be placed.
It is known from practice to produce the toothing of such shafts by machining said shaft. To this end, a cylindrical milling cutter is guided through the material of the shaft, with the radial surface thereof moving along a cladding of the toothing and the axial surface thereof moving along the bordering cladding of the toothing. Here the axis of rotation of the milling cutter is at right angles relative to a cladding to be machined, parallel relative to the other cladding and offset in relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, so that one cladding is formed on the front panel and the other is formed on the peripheral surface of the milling cutter. Minimal shifts in the axis of rotation of the milling cutter relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, in particular as a result of the unfavorable force transmission from the milling cutter into the shaft, in this case result in considerably non-symmetrical form deviations of the toothing. When subsequently inserting the shaft into the clutch, which is embodied for simple insertion usually with a significant allowance for interference, such toothings tend to shift the longitudinal axis of the shaft relative to the longitudinal axis of the clutch from a coaxial alignment, thereby possibly resulting in vibrations and an irregular operation when using the food processor.
The Australian patent specification AU 13,685/70 discloses a device and a method for producing screw driver inserts. Notches are inserted into the component part here by means of disk-type milling cutters which engage peripherally with the component part. The milling cutter axis runs at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the component part, but does however not cross the same. Conceptually similar devices and methods are known from US patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,135 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,384,800 and from the Belgian patent specification BE 403 622, the international patent application WO 2007/051222 A1 and the German patent specification DE 189 585. The English Abstract (patent abstracts of Japan) JP 2005-22058 A discloses a method, in which a notch is inserted into a component part with a cylindrical cutter.
The French patent application FR 1 131 064 A discloses a device for introducing grooves into a component part, wherefore two slotting end mills are provided, the axes of which are at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the component part and cross the same and radially engage with the component part.
The British patent specification GB 546,689 discloses, how V-shaped, U-shaped or other notches can be produced using conical, cylindrical or otherwise formed end mill cutters, if the milling cutter engages at right angles with the component part.